Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is set to discuss U.S. sanctions on Russian oil companies during his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington next week, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Monday.
Trump, a close ally of the Hungarian leader, imposed sanctions on Russia last week for the first time in his second term, targeting Lukoil and Rosneft in an effort to pressure Moscow into accepting a ceasefire in Ukraine.
The decision has raised concerns for Hungary and Slovakia, the EU’s largest buyers of Russian oil, both of which had previously secured exemptions from EU restrictions.
Szijjarto confirmed that the energy supply issue will be a key topic in Orban’s talks with Trump, stating:
“Regarding our energy supply… there is a chance that the Prime Minister will personally discuss this issue with the American President in Washington in the second half of next week.”
He added that the new U.S. sanctions, which take effect at the end of November, are not yet causing problems or reducing Hungary’s imports of Russian oil.
Last Friday, Orban said that Hungary was working to find a way to bypass U.S. sanctions on Russian oil companies, though he did not provide details or indicate that he would openly challenge the measures.
Orban, who faces elections in 2026, has long cultivated close personal ties with Trump, and his hardline anti-immigration stance has earned him support among Trump’s conservative base in the United States.
Earlier this month, he also said his upcoming meeting with Trump would include economic discussions.
